Pride 2026

“The New Queer Cinema” was a term that critics and journalists began using after an influx of hot queer filmmakers made waves at the Sundance Film Festival in the early 90s. These films from directors such as Marlon Riggs, Todd Haynes, Cheryl Dunye and Gregg Araki, among others, rose after a time of hostility and negligence from the American government during the HIV-AIDS crisis. The contradiction of queer American cinema flourishing during what many felt was an extinction event was not lost on these filmmakers. Their films were challenging, playful, angry, sexual, and, most importantly, alive. Time has a funny way of repeating itself: the United States once again has a media personality for a president and queer people (specifically those who are transgender) have been at the mercy of cruel and uncaring legislation, and, once again, a dynamic and explosive valve of queer cinema has risen up.

The New Trans Cinema encompasses more than just what has been programmed at the

Pickford this Pride, but the selection being shown captures a snapshot of an interconnected community of trans people and queer allies across nations coming together to make art in spite of these dangerous times. These films run the gamut from Y/A inflected political horror (The Serpent’s Skin), a social realist drama about the troubles of transitioning told from the perspective of an unwilling spouse (Castration Movie III), a surrealist and grief-laden trip into the unknown with echoes of Picnic at Hanging Rock (Camp), and a micro-budget tale of fate bringing two gore enthusiasts together through an unseemly discord group (Divine Hammer). Throughout it all, you will come to recognize names and faces like those of Avalon Fast and Louise Weard and distribution companies like Muscle which is led by trans archivist and historian Elizabeth Purchell. These movies are for us, by us, and made during a precarious time when the importance of community is more palpable than ever.